Governments have historically used eminent domain to re-vitalize areas that might otherwise slip into dis-repair, but recently that same law has been used to let governments throw low to middle income people out of their homes so that private developers can profit.
When I was a kid, my father and I hiked through the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, and it wasn't an infrequent occasion when we came across the ruins of a family farmstead or cemetery deep in the park. I later found out that the US Federal Government had moved families out of homes that had been in their homes for generations so that they could set aside the area for a park. Those remnants of peoples lives left a bad taste in my mouth.
Now years later, that same law is being used to let wealthy developers build golf courses, ocean front condos and one national discount brand uses eminent domain to make sure their stores are located in prime locations. I can't imagine that they'd get away with doing the same thing to a wealthy neighborhood where the residents could afford the fees to battle in the courts, but funny enough, I'll probably never find out, because the developers target the low to middle income neighborhoods where folks can't afford the big dollars a court battle would cost.
Probably the biggest travesty to come out of the Supreme Court in recent years was the Court's 5-4 decision to uphold governments rights to use eminent domain to benefit private developers. In response 40 States are looking to limit eminent domain. Now is the time to call or write your State Senator and Congresscritter and tell them that eminent domain for private development has to go.
40 States Re-Examining Eminent Domain - Yahoo! News
